Theatre, film & music
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In Focus: What happens behind the scenes at the Proms
Floods, nerves and piano tuning — Henrietta Bredin goes backstage at the world’s biggest music festival, an epic feat of logistical planning.
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20 facts about the Queen you probably didn't know
20 facts about Elizabeth II you probably didn't know.
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Joyce DiDonato: 'Lockdown was the sabbatical I really needed, but would never have given myself'
Singer Joyce DiDonato spoke to Henrietta Bredin about gardening, climate change and using music to propagate a topic.
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In Focus: Vaughan Williams, the composer who wrote 'the world's most beautiful melody'
Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of Britain's great composers, and as a major milestone arrives his fans are celebrating his body of work and life.
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12 best Christmas films to watch with the family
Nothing violent, nothing unpleasant: think drama, comedy, romance, adventure, inspiration and, above all else, schmaltz, says Jonathan Self, as he presents the 12 films you simply must see this Christmas.
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Mervyn Millar, the genius puppet master behind War House and more: 'When there’s a puppet on stage, it does something different to your engagement with the storytelling'
Three men become one horse; four become one elephant. The life of a puppeteer is full of magic, discovers Katy Birchall, as she speaks to War Horse supremo Mervyn Millar.
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In Focus: Richard Wagner's five-hour operas — 'Singers are like athletes doing long-distance competitions. You get to the point where you’ve reached your physical limits'
Wagner’s stamina-testing operas inspire both passion and dread and the adjective Wagnerian is associated with scale and intensity. Henrietta Bredin acts as a guide for the nervous.
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Scotland on film, from Harry Potter and Trainspotting, to its surprise stand-in role as London, New York and San Francisco
The brooding horizons, misty glens and dramatic castles of Scotland make it a mecca for film crews shooting anything from historical dramas to Bond films and sci-fi adventures, finds Daniel Pembrey.
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With love from Father Christmas: J.R.R. Tolkien's enchanting Christmas letters to his children
For nearly a quarter of a century, J. R. R. Tolkien sent his children elaborate letters and pictures from the North Pole. Ben Lerwill explores the penmanship, kindness and magic that went into Letters From Father Christmas.
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Curious Questions: How did 'God Save The Queen' become Britain's National Anthem?
As patriotic songs come under the spotlight, Martin Fone takes a look at national anthems across the world.
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In Focus: How the violin virtuoso Nicola Benedetti is changing the way we teach music
The violinist Nicola Benedetti speaks to Claire Jackson about virtual teaching, playing Elgar and lobbying the government.
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In Focus: Music in a time of Covid-19, from drive-in operas to the 'Spotify of classical'
Classical music has been hit hard by coronavirus, but there are all manner of ways for musicians and music lovers to continue to enjoy it.
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The best characters created Charles Dickens, still utterly unforgettable even 150 years after his death
Charles Dickens died 150 years ago, on 9 June 1870. Since then, Mr Micawber has become a byword for optimism, Scrooge for meanness and Uriah Heep for obsequiousness, and we still quote Mr Bumble’s ‘the law is an ass’. Rupert Godsal explains why these characters are so exuberantly unforgettable.
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Charles Dickens timeline: The best of times, the worst of times
Rupert Godsal paints the major events in the life and times of Charles Dickens, who died 150 years ago on 9 June, 1870.
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In Focus: The greatest books ever written about theatre, as chosen by Michael Billington
Michael Billington has been the theatre critic for Country Life (and several other publications) for decades. With theatres closed, he's turned his hand to picking out his 10 favourite books about theatrical life.
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The beautiful Edinburgh streets and buildings which are the stars of ITV's Belgravia — thanks to a sprinkling of production magic
If you've been wondering where ITV's Belgravia is filmed, the answer may surprise you: Edinburgh. Ali Wood paid a visit to the beautiful Scottish capital to find out more.
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Inside Haworth: The humble parsonage where the Brontë sisters changed literature
Some of our most enduring stories were conceived at Haworth – Jeremy Musson enjoys a literary pilgrimage.
